


Matchmaker

by Layla_Fae



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-01
Updated: 2018-06-01
Packaged: 2019-05-16 20:24:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14818268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Layla_Fae/pseuds/Layla_Fae
Summary: As the leader of the group, Junmyeon was use to the other members coming up to him about their problems. He didn’t realized though that most of those problems were going to involve their love lives, including his own. With the help of his sassy sidekick of a roommate and best friend, Junmyeon is left to play matchmaker to save the day.





	Matchmaker

It was in late 2013 when the long stream of problems began for Junmyeon.

It first started when the group started to film the new reality show that the company signed them up for. Junmyeon was honestly excited about it. He likes the idea of hanging out with all eleven other members and becoming closer to them, especially the other Chinese group since he wasn’t as close to them as he was with the others in his own. 

They had just launched off into the music business a little over a year ago and their popularity was rapidly growing. This was, in theory, only to their benefit really, but it was also somewhat suffocating in a way since it seemed like now they were will never be away from the cameras. Privacy now felt like a privilege.

As the leader, Junmyeon felt like he had to keep an eye on all his members because of this. Too much time with the same people could seriously injure or even destroy the group and Junmyeon would be damned if he let that actually happen. He tried to express the same concern to Kris, but the boy just nodded along and went along on his way. Junmyeon tried to not think about that fact too much, especially looking back from now.

All the other members seemed okay for most of the time. They were all laughing and smiling and playing games with one another. It was like a group of grade school boys in the movies, and Junmyeon was happy to be a part of it, even when his jokes weren’t considered funny and they didn’t laugh. It was the group of friends he always wished for since he wasn’t very well liked in school by the other students who found him annoying and weird. But he had Sehun, who he had known for about six years now, back then and thankfully now. Junmyeon considered him to be his best friend.

It was during the filming of the first episode when he first notices trouble. He was sitting in the middle of the long table, going along with the challenge like everyone else, when the board asked them to state who the most handsome member of EXO was. They went around the table one by one and stated each member. 

It was when Luhan said Xiumin’s name when he felt the slightest jolt besides him. He glanced over to Jongdae to his right and saw the boy with his natural calm face, but there was the tiniest bit of _something_ in his eyes. 

When it came to Junmyeon’s turn to say his choice, he says Jongdae’s name just to piggyback off Baekhyun’s and Kyungsoo’s joke. He didn’t expect Jongdae to turn to him and say “Sehun” instead. 

Junmyeon first thought as the crowd of boys around him roars in laughter, that he greatly agreed with the younger boy (Sehun was indeed good looking), but then his second thought was a concern for that look in his eye again. Junmyeon could see it clearly and he was now more worried. He felt the second jolt to his right again when Xiumin said Luhan as his answer. 

His concern was pushed away in his mind when it came to Sehun and he called Suho the most handsome member. He wasn’t sure exactly why, but he felt warm and almost giddy from it. 

It wasn’t until later on when the group was spending the night at a rental house after a little trip to the beach when he finally got what was going on. It was late at night when they were all asleep on the floor and the cameras were finally out when he woke up to the sudden but slow moment around his head where he laid on his sleeping bag. He peeked one heavy eye lib up to find a familiar frame. He watches as the figure moved quietly out of the room, making almost no noise. Junmyeon laid there for a long moment, considering if this was a part of his job description. He glanced over at the others in the room, all of them sleeping soundly, especially Sehun who had small strands of blonde hair picking out under a fury hat. Junmyeon laid there in his sleepy state staring at the youngest member before getting up.

He sneaked quietly outside the room and walked on to find another two members on the couch. He looked on to the balcony outside and found Jongdae leaning over the railing, breathing heavily and his back flinching at an irregular rhythm. 

Junmyeon sneaked up to the sliding door and opened it to scare the other boy, causing him to jump back and turn around. His face was red and teary and Junmyeon knew they had a problem then. Junmyeon walked over to the other boy, his bare feet on the cold wood and stood beside him. Jongdae hung his head down low and out of sight as he looked out to the wilderness around the house. He waited for when the other boy was ready to speak. He wasn’t going to leave without an explanation.

They stayed that way for a long while before Jongdae broke it, right as Junmyeon was about to ask. 

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me.” He said through more upcoming sobs. 

Junmyeon didn’t know either. That’s why he asked. 

“You don’t know why you’re crying?” 

“It’s just that... Every time I see them together…” 

Jongdae explains that he likes Xiumin, more then he should for a friend. He doesn’t like how close Xiumin has become with Luhan, maybe even closer than they were, and how they act around each other. It made him think that maybe this wasn’t meant to be, and he tried to distance himself to move on from it, but that was almost impossible now. 

“I’ve tried to forget it, but I can’t… He’s everything I have ever wanted and it’s almost like…” 

Junmyeon held the other boy, lending him his shoulder to cry on. He never saw Jongdae like this and he feels guilty for not even noticing till now. He stays with him till he calms down, telling him that everything is going to be okay. He just has to get through it and tough it out for himself. He had to do what he had to do to make himself happy and give the situation time. Everything gets better with time. 

Jongdae nodded as his answer and he asks Junmyeon to only keep this between them. Junmyeon agreed, but his eyes stay on the three boys whenever they were in sight. He watches carefully how Xiumin and Luhan interact with each other and notices how Jongdae neither tries to get involved too or stays away from it, sometimes watching it from afar with that same sad look in his eyes. He never not watches it though, as if he really couldn’t turn away from it. Junmyeon knew how that felt, especially whenever he sees Sehun interacting with someone like Tao or Chanyeol.

He knew it was best not to meddle in with the problem. He can’t get involved or else he would ruin everything. Even though it pained him to watch Jongdae suffer, he knew that the best thing he could do right now was just there for him when he needed him, and just pray for the best. As time pass, Junmyeon wished he could talk about his consideration for the boy and his unrequited interest. He longed to tell Sehun the most about it since he feels like Sehun would help him understand the situation more, but he knew it was best to keep all of this to himself to prevent anything from happening. Besides, he couldn’t betray his friend’s trust like that. 

Time passes and the granted downtime the boys had is about to come to an end with the year. Once the next year starts, their schedules will become more full and hectic. Junmyeon was secretly ready for it. He liked moving from place to place and having some to do. He was becoming sick of staying in a single spot will only minimum errands to do. He enjoyed it, especially since he and Sehun spend most of the free time together, but he was slowly starting to feel restless and bored. 

The new year comes along, and the group is touring and preparing for their comeback every day. Practices are long and hard. When they released their comeback album, it was an instant hit. Overdose was huge, and their fans were obsessed with most of the songs on the track list. It seemed like everything was going their way and they were, in a small way, taking over the world of music. 

But all the troubles of 2014 soon came upon them in a rush that none of them were prepared for. 

It was a week after their comeback when Kris announced to the public he was leaving the group for personal reasons. The other leader informed the other members the night before, saying that he just had to go home to his mother. He couldn’t do it anymore. He was starting to forget who he was and where he came from. He just needed to go home.

Junmyeon was sad to see the older boy go but escorted him to this plane ride back to China with Chanyeol with only supportive affection. He understood why and really couldn’t blame the guy. Kris was the “cold city boy”, and this might have spotted his reputation of this, but even city boys love their mom and he couldn’t be blamed for wanting to see her. 

It was odd honestly. It was the first time Kris open up to the group on such a personal level, and with his departure, the other members and he felt as if they had grown closer to the boy in a way. Chanyeol and he waved him goodbye from inside the airport as the plane took off.

SM Entertainment took a huge blow from Kris leaving. It was officially decided that he was no longer a part of EXO, but the contract was still in the process of being terminated and Kris was no longer allowed to be a part of any of the group’s projects. The media took this like a field day and did countless reports over it for days and days to come. Junmyeon told the boys to simply keep their head down and not to respond to anyone asking them anything about Kris. It was best to move on and work with the schedule they had now. They were in the middle of a comeback and they couldn’t waste time on something that they had no say or influence in. It was best just to move on.

The next scandal comes out that following month when the media finds out that Baekhyun is in a secret relationship with a girl from another idol group under their same company. It’s an even more rapid and messier frenzy as the media blows it all out of proportion and makes it seem much worse than it actually is. They weren’t the first two idols to be in a private relationship. They were just one of the few to get caught. 

Junmyeon saw a change in Baekhyun then. The boy was usually smiley and happy, but now he was almost a walking corpse with all the stress and pressure that was set on him. He came to Junmyeon and Sehun’s room when word got around that there was a petition out for him to be removed from the group with a large number of signatures on it. The boy cried onto Sehun’s lap and ranted about how it wasn’t fair. That he was human too, and he didn’t even want this in the first place.

Junmyeon and Sehun looked at each other and knew this was then. This was the company’s way of distracting everyone from the lawsuit battle with Kris. 

Time goes on as the group continues doing more interviews and starts their tour in China. It seemed like the worse had already passed them but Junmyeon still worries about what the next issue that was going to approach them in the future. He could feel something in his bone that told him hell was about to be broken loose again, and he had no idea how to prepare for it. 

It happened in October when Luhan left the group. 

Luhan’s departure was completely different than Kris’s. Kris gave them all ahead ups to the madness about to hit them. Yes, it was a short noticed, but he went about it properly and apologized for the matter. Luhan seemed to get up and leave in the middle of the night (literally just last night), leaving the group to receive the news through their managers in a late morning meeting over breakfast. Junmyeon stayed still and quiet as his members around him called out a questioning reaction to the news. 

Chanyeol was the loudest out of the group (as usual), and beside him were two empty seats. One of them, of course, Luhan, and he realized the other was for Xiumin. Junmyeon waited till later when he was out of their sight to sign angrily and roll his eyes. He was starting to get tired of all this bullshit. 

“What the fuck…” He mumbled to himself, walking back to the room later that day. He was so done and annoyed and was starting to wonder when all of this drama was finally going to go away.

Before he reached the door, he felt a pair of hands grab his shoulders from behind. He turned to find Sehun behind him and carrying two bottles of soju. He didn’t appreciate the younger boy enough for thinking like himself. Sehun kept one arm around his shoulders and Junmyeon held him by the waist as they walk to their shared room for a drink.

The two bottles were soon gone. They were both humming away on the alcohol into intoxication, laying side by side on the bed. Sehun was resting his head on his shoulder, cussing out the universe with each other. Junmyeon never felt so infatuated with someone in one moment in his life. 

“I should have got Lay to get me two more bottles like he offered,” Sehun mumbled and Junmyeon snickered in agreement. Neither of them was heavy drinkers but times like these, nothing seemed to lighten the mood and the stress better.

Sehun shifted his body towards him. He was laying on his back and had his head turned to the other boy, eyes closed as he began to feel himself get sleepy. He peaked his eyes open to see the other boy looking up at him. His eyes were more almond shaped then his own and those irises were a lighter and glacier shade of brown. They were caught in the light just right and looked heavenly. Junmyeon looked at them for a while, feeling completely sober. He wanted to say something but couldn’t. He likes to think that was when his own personal emotional troublings began. 

“Can I tell you something, Hyung?” Sehun asked him. His lisp was slightly presence again, and Junmyeon felt his whole body go weak. 

“You can always tell me anything.” 

“Do you promise to keep it between you and me? Some of the other know because they were there, but we all promised to keep it to ourselves. Not even the managers know.” He looked back up to Junmyeon. “But I want to tell you. Because you’re special.” The maknae bobbed him on the nose with the tip of his finger. Junmyeon giggled at the cute gesture. 

“I promise.” 

“Luhan left because Xiumin rejected him for Jongdae.” 

“What?” He defiantly fully sober now.

Sehun shuffled onto his stomach, preparing himself to spill all the tea. His head hovered over Junmyeon’s, giving a good view of his long neck. Junmyeon wondered how soft the skin would be if he kissed it. He wondered if he would need to suck hard to leave a mark.

“Last night me, Tao, Lay, Luhan, Xiumin, and Jongdae were all drinking in Jongdae and Xiumin’s room. We got really drunk and started to play truth or dare. Some stuff was done and everything, but things started getting heated with Xiumin and Luhan when Tao dared Xiumin to kiss Jongdae. Luhan said no for Xiumin, but Xiumin was like ‘why not?’ and they started arguing and basically, Luhan came out and said he wouldn’t talk to Xiumin again if he went through with the dare. Xiumin turned to him and said, word through word, ‘Fuck you. I want this.’ and then jumped on Jongdae on the bed.”  
“No way.” Junmyeon was dumbfounded. “How bad were they?” 

“The French would be appalled,” Sehun stated and Junmyeon would have laughed if he wasn’t so shocked. He didn’t even consider Jongdae being involved in any of this.

“Like…” He couldn’t even form a question.

“Like they were dry humping each other.” Sehun exaggerated to him. “We had to pull them apart before they started fucking.” 

“Oh, my God…” Junmyeon thought of how Jongdae would come to him, talking about how he could never have Xiumin and how much he envied Luhan for it. Oh, how the tables have turned. 

“That’s not the end of the story.” 

“What do you mean?” 

“Listen. After we torn them apart, Luhan got really upset and starting yelling at Xiumin for being dumb for doing that, and then ran out of the room into the hallway and all of us went in after him because he was hurt but once we caught up with him he just started yelling at Xiumin again, and somehow Jongdae got involved and finally Luhan just started crying and confessed that he really liked Xiumin and that he wants to be with him and everything.”

“Oh no…” Junmyeon knew the ending of the tale before Sehun went on.

“Oh yeah. It was quiet for about six minutes between us all till Xiumin just said that he didn’t feel the same and that he was really sorry. Luhan broke down in tears and ran back to his room then. Lay and Tao chased him since they were in the same room. I went to try to comfort Xiumin but he wouldn’t look at me and just walk back to the room with Jongdae. I just came back to our room then since it was late and I was drunk and sleepy.”

Junmyeon nodded along. He vaguely remembers waking up from his deep sleep at 3:00 am last night to the sound of the door opening and the sudden weight of another warm body beside him. “So, what happens? Did he just leave the hotel last night and dropped off the face of the world or what?” 

“I got a text from Tao saying that Luhan packed up all his things into his suitcases and left. He apparently contacted his lawyers and they filed the lawsuit then.” 

The idea of getting up and leaving in such a short time span bewildered Junmyeon. How could someone actually think about what just happen and think about having a reaction like that and then not think that it was maybe not the best move to make. 

“That’s so…” 

“Crazy?”

“Yes!”

“I agree. But that’s what happens.” Sehun shrugged. “I talked to Lay about it earlier and he said that Xiumin is taking it pretty hard. He thinks it all his fault.”

“But it isn’t,” Junmyeon said. “No one in the group would blame him.” 

“But the company might. That’s why we all agreed to keep it to ourselves. We didn’t want anyone to give him shit when he doesn’t deserve it.” 

“That horrible.” Junmyeon looked out the window from the bed. He suddenly felt more tired than ever.

“Especially with everything else that’s going on…” Sehun let the statement hang in the air. They stayed quiet for a while. Junmyeon was thinking about how this was going to play out once the other members found out. None of them would blame the oldest member but it could cause some awkwardness to develop among them. That or the members would start to feel helpless and begin the think that the group was going to go under. Junmyeon hoped that wouldn’t happen.

He thought about Jongdae and how happy he must be now. It didn’t come off clear as day but he couldn’t think of a more confirming indirect way of someone stating they like someone then jumping on them and kissing them like that. But Xiumin was drunk and maybe he wasn’t thinking straight. But, wouldn’t he state that it meant nothing to him and that it was all a joke when he and Luhan started arguing? And why did Jongdae get involved? He was usually very remote between the two and never got that angry about anything…

Junmyeon rubbed his face with his hands. He could feel the stress heating up and making his neck ache already. He wished he was there. He wants to know all the details and everything, to really understand the problem. He knows Sehun said that Xiumin choose Jongdae over Luhan but that doesn’t mean he actually _did_. All five of them were drunk and it was late and the only hell knows what any of them were actually thinking or doing. Junmyeon would kill to be there to fully know. 

He wanted it to be true since Jongdae was practically in love with Xiumin. For the boy to go through that and see it with his own eye, it would give him hope that he was the one Xiumin wanted. If that wasn’t true and it was all just a misunderstanding… it would break his friend’s heart so badly. Junmyeon already felt the pain for the boy just by thinking about it. He signed again and wished he could make everything better.

“Can I ask you something, Hyung?” Sehun broke his train of thought. The young boy was laying on his shoulder again. His eyes were closed and his voice told Junmyeon he was just about to pass out. 

“Anything.” He replied.

“Were you and Kris ever a thing?” He asked.

Junmyeon looked at the boy with a confused look. Where did that come from?

“Sehun… No. I and Kris were never…” 

“Are you sure? Not anything at all?” 

Junmyeon actually smiled at the boy. “Sehun, you do know that Kris is straight, right?” 

Sehun’s eyes shot open and he sat up to look at him with a shocked expression. Junmyeon laughed at the sight.

“Kris was straight?!” 

“Yes, hun. Kris was the only straight one in the whole group.” 

“I mean…” Sehun looked off to only turn back to the boy. “Kris was straight?!”

Junmyeon laughed even harder at that. “Yes!”

“Well, no wonder he left!” Sehun threw his hands in the air as if he just solved a problem. Junmyeon laughed uncountably then. 

It was the next day, while everyone was packing up to check out of the hotel and leave for the airport, Junmyeon came into Jongdae and Xiumin’s room to talk. Luckily Jongdae was out on the bed packing while Xiumin took a shower.

“Sehun told me everything about the other night.” 

“He promised he wouldn’t.” Jongdae signed in defeat.

“We were drunk last night. We were talking.” 

Jongdae looked over at him and raised a brow. “Really now? Did you two just _talk_?”

“I don’t know. Did you and your new boyfriend just _talk_ after everything that night?” Junmyeon sassed back.

Jongdae gave him a look as he flopped one of his shirts before folding it. “It’s not like that. He didn’t mean it like that. He was drunk, after all.”

“Most people say and do what they really want when they’re drunk.” 

“He did it because he was dared to. And Luhan-“

“Didn’t he say ‘Fuck you. I want this’?”

Jongdae signed as in annoyance this time. “I could have sworn that he was drunker than the rest of us.” 

“Sehun isn’t as much as a lightweight as he puts off to people.” 

“Of course, you would know that.” 

“I’ve known him longer.” 

“Sure. We’ll go with that excuse.” Jongdae sassed at him. 

Junmyeon saw this coming. Jongdae was more of the type to favor himself coming to him about his personal issues then Junmyeon coming and confronting him. But they didn’t have time for that. The two groups were about to part ways for recording, and this was the last time he would see Jongdae for another month or so. He needed to talk to him about this before then.

“You know you’re still in the game, right?” Junmyeon told him. 

He received another raised brow from the other boy. “What does that mean?” 

“You’re still in the game. You still have a chance to win and get the thing you want in the end.” Junmyeon explained. “The thing you always wanted…” 

Jongdae looked away from him and sat down on the bed. “I know. I think… I can’t do it now. Xiumin is hurt about it all. He feels as if he just caused more problems for the group, and if it gets out what really happens, the other members will blame him for it all.”

“That’s not true. They would understand.” 

“I’m trying to make him understand that. I just want him to understand…”

“He will. This is not his fault at all.” 

“I know.” Jongdae’s expression suddenly turns sour then. He knew what was coming. “Why would you leave the group for such a childish thing? And it was such a rushed decision too. Like, I could have quit and walked away because of my hunted feelings, but I didn’t! And after all the crap we have going on with Kris and Baekhyun? To do something like that on such an impl-“ 

The ranting session was cut off with the shower door opening. Xiumin came out with only a towel around his waist, holding his phone and speaker that was blasting out music. He paused the noise before smiling over to Junmyeon. He could see the hurt and pain in his eyes and felt even worse for the matter at hand. He was tired of his members suffering when they didn’t deserve it. 

2015 came along and Junmyeon couldn’t be readier to kiss 2014 goodbye. It was a hellish year and he hoped for better fortunes in the future. 

One of those fortunes come along early with a snapchat video of Jongdae and Xiumin, looking up at the camera with bright and mischievous eyes before the older boy turned over and gave Jongdae a long and loving peck on the cheek. Jongdae’s bright and truly happy smile was enough for the message to get through. He screenshots the image and showed Sehun later on that night, who actually cheered in joy. It echoed off the walls of the empty bathroom they were in. 

That following month was when all ten of them were to gather for the shooting of their comeback music video. Junmyeon remembers that day so clearly in his head. He still can feel the chilly and raining air on his face and smell the scent of gasoline and leather if he thinks about it deeply. The time sticks out in his mind for some reason. Maybe because he felt safe again at that moment, and it seemed to be so ironic and predictable for him to fall in that belief. He should have known better. 

On the set, Junmyeon sat on the car’s hood and watch the other run around and talk on their short break. Xiumin and Jongdae were leaning on each other as they laughed at the prank Chanyeol just pulled on Kyungsoo involving a water bottle. The tall boy ran away once the water splashed onto the boy’s face and tried to hide behind Tao, but the smaller boy was already chasing him. Chanyeol ran all around the set with Kyungsoo gaining distance between them. It wasn’t until Chanyeol found Jongin when he was safe, hiding behind him like a child. 

Jongin was actually trying to keep Kyungsoo at bay without reached arms and a wide smile on both of their faces. Junmyeon focused more on that since he saw the big light in Jongin’s eyes that told him that something that he might have read correctly. But he wasn’t sure since Baekhyun came up behind Kyungsoo and dumped more water on his head as he ran over the Chanyeol. The smaller boy jumped on his back for a piggyback ride that acted as their escape. Both Kyungsoo and Jongin were after the two. The sight was funny enough to cause Lay to fall out of his makeup seat from laughter.

Junmyeon laughed as well, but he couldn’t completely feel the joy from it since there was a null and numb feeling down in the deep pitch of his soul that told him to be cautious. Junmyeon didn’t know why but the notion was enough to make him stand at high alarm constantly. He double checks each member and what they were doing. He became paranoid about what they were doing when they were on their phones for too long. He stayed up and waited in the hall when they stayed out past curfew. He was just worried. 

Less than a month after their biggest comeback to date, Tao announces his own leaving from the band. Again, the happening was out of sight and none of them seemed to be prepared. Junmyeon hated himself for it but told his members that this wasn’t the end. That bad things usually happened in threes and this was the third. Only good things were to come after this. They were only destined for the best after this. And, by some grace from God, he was right. 

Their albums hit sky high and broke universal records in sales in both songs and performances. They did even better with the mini-comeback in the summer and found themselves on top of the K-pop world as kings. Junmyeon never felt that void sensation again.

Time went by like air with their busy schedules and it was fun for Junmyeon. He liked the fact that they were constantly moving and performing. As long as he could crash afterward in a big bed with Sehun, he didn’t mind the manageable chaos. 

They finally got a break in winter, which was perfect for him. He went home and saw his family for heading back to work in the new year. They were starting to practice on their next comeback while all the member was off doing other kinds of profession. Sehun was becoming the fashion icon of the country and Kyungsoo was growing insanely popular as an actor. He couldn’t be prouder of his members. 

Junmyeon was out walking his dog, Byul, one evening with Jongin who was walking his own three dogs. They ran into each other on the street and decide to walk on with each other. It was a hassle when the four dogs got tackled together, especially since the two young men were outnumbered. They soon stopped at a local park to calm down and let the dogs go to play. 

The two talked about their families and their time off. Jongin showed him all the pictures he had of his niece and nephew and Junmyeon smiled through them all. Jongin seemed like the type to grow up and have all the children with his spouse. Junmyeon considered that to be great for the younger boy. He would make a great dad.

It came to a comfortable silence between the two of them as they watch the dogs play. Junmyeon planned to leave shortly and head back home for some hot chocolate before bed. 

“Hyung?” Jongin suddenly asked him.

“Hmm?” 

“Do you think that Kyungsoo is cute?” 

Junmyeon looked at the boy with what he hoped looked like a stone-cold face because inside his mind he was screaming with the new love drama he was about to endure. He just prayed it wasn’t another love triangle. 

“What do you mean?” 

“You know,” Jongin was beginning to blush. Junmyeon didn’t say anything about it. “Do you think he’s…”

“Boyfriend material?” 

Jongin looked away from him then. Junmyeon waited for him to go on. He wasn’t upset or judging the boy. He hoped Jongin wasn’t getting that impression.

“It’s okay if you like him.” Junmyeon tried to explain when he found the boy too quiet. “It’s not like we don’t already have a couple within the group.”

“Yeah but that’s not the issue I’m really worried about.” Jongin brings his head back up from his hands and looks at Junmyeon again. He could tell by his deep eyes that the younger boy was actually upset about this. He raised a brow.

“It’s just…” Jongin sighed. “He’s my best friend. I feel so free with him. I don’t want this all to end up in smoke and then lose him forever.”

“You don’t want to lose your friend if this doesn’t work out.” Junmyeon nodded along.

“Yeah. And you know how it is. You can’t be friends with your ex. It never works out. Especially if it ends on bad terms.” 

“And it would be hard to work with him considering that you are literally put beside him in everything we do.” 

“Exactly!” Jongin waved his hand over to him. He seemed relieved to have someone understand his problem, and Junmyeon honestly did. He had exes before, in middle school and high school, and some of them were in his same class, which made his life a bit harder, he will admit. 

Jongin sighed again and leaned back onto the bench they were sitting on. He closed his eyes to only open them again with a dreamy expression in them. Junmyeon already knew the boy had fallen hard for the other member.

“But he's so cute, Hyung. With those lips and those big eyes…” He seemed to be dreaming with the way he was talking. 

“And his voice is so nice.” Junmyeon egged him on. He has never seen Jongin so smitten before.

“Oh God, his voice!” Jongin agreed with a bright grin. “I would give anything for him to sing me lullabies with that beautiful voice. Don’t you ever wish for that, Hyung? For someone to sing you lullabies?”

“Yeah.” Junmyeon lied. He never desired for someone to sing him lullabies, but instead, he gave them and mainly to Sehun. Even back when they were trainees, Junmyeon would sing him little lullabies to make him wander off to sleep. He always had trouble sleeping and Junmyeon was more than willing to help. He would sing and rub small circles on his back as the younger boy slept on his chest. He did it a lot whenever Sehun got homesick, and Junmyeon found those nights to be the best for them. 

“He’s just so perfect. In everything. Singing, dancing, acting…” Jongin looked up at the sky as he talked and Junmyeon didn’t need to see his eyes to know that he was in love. 

“Do you want to be with him that bad?” Junmyeon asked. 

“Yes. No…” Jongin bit down on his lip. “I don’t know.” 

“Just think about it. If you want to, go ahead, go for it. You and he could live happily ever after until you die. Or you two could just be friends and suffer when he finds someone else to have happily ever after with.” Junmyeon shrugged. 

“Is that supposed to help me?” Jongin asked him. Junmyeon just shrugged. The boy was asking him advice on something that he himself couldn’t decide on. 

“I just want him.” Jongin signed again. “I don’t even know if he’s gay.”

“I’m pretty sure he’s gay.” 

“Is he?” 

Junmyeon tried to search back through his memory of a gay moment with Kyungsoo. “Well, you might need to find that out before anything else.”

Jongin signed yet again and hung his head in defeat. “How about I just don’t try? Maybe it just not worth it or it's not meant to be?”  
“Love is usually worth it from what I’ve been told. Besides, I didn’t raise you to be such a quitter.”

“You’re not my mother, Junmyeon.”

“Still, the statement stands.”

Jongin bit his bottom lip and looked forward to the four dogs all fighting over a ball. Junmyeon followed his glance and they stayed quiet for another moment. 

“What would you do, Hyung?” Jongin finally spoke. His voice was so small and defeated. 

“In total honest?” Junmyeon asked. The younger boy nodded. “I would wait and think about it.” 

“Is that what you’re doing with Sehun now?” 

Junmyeon stopped and glared at the other boy who had his mouth opening and closing with wide alarmed eyes. He looked like a fish gasping for air. 

“What did you mean by that?” Junmyeon changed his tone. He only used it when he was preparing for a fight or a lecture (Sehun always said it was his attitude showing and Junmyeon always told him to shut up).

“Nothing.” 

“Have you been talking to Jongdae?” 

“No! I mean...” Jongin threw his arms up in the air. “You know how loud he is?” 

Junmyeon rolled his eyes in annoyance. He shook his head as he glares out at nothing. He knew Jongdae had been going around and telling everyone with ears that it was only a matter of time before him and his best friend got together. There was a running bet among them all, for when they would finally get together. Junmyeon only knew about it because Sehun told him he made Chanyeol put some in for him and they planned to split the profit once they won. He never asked about how much he put in and what for. He didn’t need to know. He knew the younger boy did it just to be spiteful. 

Tour begins again soon enough and their stadium concerts soon followed. Junmyeon figures that to be his favorite part of his whole career, seeing the fans in an overly filled stadium, with earth-shattering cheers for his group. This is what he lived for. One of the best things about being on stage was the people he was performing with, and how they always made it seemed to make everything fun. He loved the beagle line jumping and screaming all over the stage, and the special times when Sehun and Xiumin would join in. There were toys everywhere for the boys to play with as well, which only made the whole scene even more of a mess. 

Along with the concerts came the interviews that piled up on each other like pancakes. There was one in particular that stuck out in Junmyeon’s memory. 

Kyungsoo was given a question to answer from the host of the TV they were guest starring on. Junmyeon didn’t recall it exactly and wasn’t even paying attention at the time, but what caught his attention is when Jongin spoke up and told the other boy that he loved him the most, and then asked if the other boy knew that, right?

When Jongin actually said it, Junmyeon turned back to the two slowly to find them smiling at each other like they were in love. That was enough of a sign for Junmyeon himself, and hopefully for them too. 

Junmyeon glanced back to Sehun who looked even more surprised than Baekhyun beside him who was biting down on his lip in an attempt to not laugh or gasp. He then caught Jongdae watching him and the boy raised a knowing brow. Junmyeon looked away, wanting to not think about it again. 

He also tried to find the moment again on the internet, but it seemed to be wiped away as if it never happens. He even went as far as to put the date in the search engine. Nothing.

The next year comes around and spring was when they started preparing for another huge comeback. The theme is dark and twisted and compelling, and Junmyeon couldn’t be more in love with it.

Everything seems to run smoothly and calmly till it happens. Again.

He found out about it when he was in his was in Sehun now private room (which he was still not happy about). The two of them were just talking when the door suddenly opens with a finely dressed Jongin in the doorway. He was slightly damp from the late evening rain, wearing a long trench coat and business attire underneath it. 

Before Junmyeon could even greet the boy, the sobs came down and broke out in heart-aching whimpers. Soon, the young boy was on Sehun’s bed, laying his head in his lap, crying his soul out. It took him a long time before he could calm down enough to tell him what the matter was. When he did, Junmyeon felt a vague sense of whiplash. 

Jongin had a meeting with the company’s officials that day with the managers. The company had already signed him up for a public relationship with a member from another up and coming girl group. She was a dancer too, and they looked good together. They were already friends, and the company used that as their shitty selling point to him. Jongin still had to sign the paper and commit to it even though he wasn’t sold on it at all. Funny how that was how this business worked.

“It’s only a year, Hyung.” Sehun tried to comfort the boy. “And at least its someone you can trust. Hell, they could have set you up with Baekhyun’s ex. That would have caused a hell of a storm.”

Junmyeon rubbed the dancer’s back as he sat there with red eyes and a tear-stained face. He knew this was just part of the job, but it was a shitty part. They all saw first-hand what it did to Baekhyun, and how it affected everyone he cared about, especially Chanyeol, who was just as upset about the matter. And now they had to see it again with Jongin, who was a lot more sensitive to these types of things. They stayed silent for a long moment before any sound was made. Junmyeon wondered if this was the breaking of one’s own heart and why did something so wrenching sound so dead?

“Soo…” Jongin finally whispered out in the noiseless sound. “Soo won’t even look at me…”

Junmyeon realized the real problem then. He should have known that he would have gone to the other boy first before coming to him and Sehun. This really was a heartbreak without it being seen as so. Junmyeon got up and began to make his way out the door.  
“Where are you going?” Sehun called out to him. 

“I’ll be back. Stay with him.” 

He closed the door behind him and made his way down one flight of stairs to Kyungsoo’s private dorm. He was in his black sweatpants, a t-shirt, and had no shoes or socks on. He didn’t care. He had to fix this before it spread out to the other members before it got out and broad in the media. If this didn't fix tonight, then they lose another member, if not two, and he’s had enough of that bullshit as is.

He knocked on the door and call for the boy. No answer. 

He turned the nod and found it unlocked so he let himself in without any concern for what he found inside. He found a lit room that was dead inside. He wondered again how something can so dramatic be so silent. 

He glanced around, knowing the other boy was here. His eyes landed on the closet that looked as if it was tightly shut if not locked. He walked towards it and heard the dying down of an inhale. He could basically hear the other boy suffer and he hated it. 

“D.O.” He called out over the wood. No answer.

“I know you’re there Kyungsoo. I just want to talk.” He said again. It was a minute of silence before he got his whispered answer.

“Please, leave me alone.” 

“I’m not leaving till you open the door.”

“No.”

“Kyungsoo please.”

“Just leave me alone!”

“Why? So, you can just sit there and cry over the exact same thing that Jongin's crying about in Sehun’s room?” Junmyeon finally snapped. He hated this for them, so much, but it was the only way to fix this. “Come on, Soo! We all know it! It’s as plain as day that you two feel the same for one another! You think that’s going to change when the company brings some girl in? Just admit it!”

It was quiet again. Junmyeon waited for Kyungsoo to come out and beat the hell out of him but he never did.

“Just admit it. You like him. You want to be with him. And that’s fine. It’s perfectly fine. No one here is going to judge you or him. You two will be a lot happier if you just admit it.” Junmyeon lowered his tone and tried to reason with the hidden boy. It was almost unbearable now, looking at the white painted wood.

Suddenly, the door open. Junmyeon watched as a lumpy figure merged out of the shadows and into the light. He saw another pair of red eyes and another tear stain face. There was also a bleeding lip and messed up hair as if there had been hands running through those locks and ripping them out from his scalp. Looking back, he should have known that Kyungsoo takes it harder than anyone in the mix. He had a bad habit of keeping things to himself that he shouldn’t, like hurt emotions that cut him from the inside like glass.

“How do I fix this, Hyung?” His voice was breathy and unsteady.

“Well, for starters, you could open the door.” A call came over the closed front door. Junmyeon knew that sass from anywhere.

Junmyeon walked over to the door and opened it to the sight of Sehun and Jongin. Jongin looked awkward and uncomfortable while Sehun smirked to him like he was the real winner here. 

“I think it’s best to leave these two alone for a while.” Junmyeon moved out of the way for Jongin to walk in. He glanced back to Kyungsoo who had a bright look in his eyes that he still couldn’t completely read. Junmyeon walked out into the hall and closed the door behind him. He turned to face Sehun again who was still smirking.

“What?” 

“You know,” Sehun began. “You and I make a great team.”

“Team?” Junmyeon couldn’t believe this kid.

“Yeah. We’re like a pair of superhero matchmakers. Out there saving lives and broken hearts.”

Junmyeon huffed. “More like I’m the matchmaker and you’re just my sidekick.” 

The older boy began to walk away when the other boy’s jaw drops in insulted shock. “Excuse me?! I am no one’s damn sidekick!”

The next day came and there were countless articles about the new power couple of K-pop. There were all kinds of reactions, both supporting and not. But the real news didn’t come until a week later when Jongin and Kyungsoo finally told the group about their new relationship status. They were cheered for, but there was whining on why they kept if for so long from them.

“Why didn’t you tell any of use sooner?” Chanyeol pouted.

“Well, it’s not like we were hiding it,” Kyungsoo explained. “Junmyeon and Sehun knew about it too.”

“Junmyeon even knew about it from the start,” Jongin added on with a grateful smile.  
“Of course, he did.” Jongdae turned back to the two that stood in the back behind the group. Sehun came up behind him then and wrapped his arms around his shoulders while resting his head on the side of his. “Why are you always in the mix of these kinds of things?”

“It’s not like I ask for it!” Junmyeon defended himself. “You’re the ones who tell me about it that gets me involved in the first place!” 

“I just like to point out,” Baekhyun spoke up with a mischievous smile. “that out of the two couples here, you two are the only ones being all touchy fe-“ 

The boy was cut off by a flying water bottle hitting him in the face. The boy was on the ground, holding his head in confusion (but smiling) as everyone else around him laughed. Chanyeol and Jongdae were on all fours, holding their stomachs as they died. 

Junmyeon was still stunned by the sight, he didn’t notice the long arms around him were gone in the first place. He only felt them wrap around him again once he came to his senses. He looked over at the smirking rebel beside him, with those sparkling eyes, and he smiled without realizing it. He still didn’t realize what happened to him then till later on, when he was too far gone to undo the damage done. 

The comeback was a huge hit and everything seems to go right for them again. It was the best comeback they had yet, and none of them could be more ecstatic about it. It almost seemed too good to be completely real. Junmyeon didn’t make the same mistake again though, and he kept his wits about him. He kept an eye on each member and made sure they were well rested and emotionally stable. 

Jongin went out in the day with his girlfriend and made sure they were seen when they were ordered onto their dates, but he always came back to Kyungsoo at night. They were sleeping in the same bed most of the time, and sometime the other members would sneak into the room and take pictures of the two sleeping beauties. 

When they were caught, Kyungsoo would chase them out of their room. For some reason, all the troublemakers would come into his room and hide behind him, as if he would protect them from the one about to kill them. Junmyeon decided then that these were really the moments he lived for.

That year went along smoothly and was one of the best years the group ever had awards and sales wise. It was almost crazy how fast it went, and defiantly surprising of how much fun they had during it. It felt like they were finally catching a break from off the drama and madness they endured from their beginning years. Luckily, the boys still had their amazing fan base and that was all they could ask for.

When they were coming back from their break time to prepare for their next stop on tour, they gathered in Seoul to talk about the over plan for the rest of the year to only be told the very sad news by their managers. Junmyeon learned that eating a planned meal with the managers was never a good thing.

Due to the political conflict between China and South Korea, Lay has to stay in China to maintain the ideal image to his Chinese fans. SM Entertainment has agreed to let Lay work under them nonetheless and for him to produce his own work as a solo album in the time he is departed from the group. They don’t know how long Lay will be gone, but he has promised to be reunited with the group for a comeback when he can.

There was no anger, no sadness, and no hurt feelings from the other members after they were told the news. The normal reaction they had after a member has left was filled with emotions and bitterness, but this time there was none of that. Junmyeon didn’t feel the same as he did before. He only felt put off a bit because he was concerned for Yixing and how he was handling the news.

“Will he be okay?” 

“Is this all because of THAAD?”

“Can we still call and text him?”

“So, he still is a part of the group?” Junmyeon finally asked. The manager told him that yes, he was. He just had to take a leave for a little while till China and Korea decide they are friends again. He nodded since that was all he really needed to know.

Later on, that night, the eight members gathered around a small computer screen to a sad looking Yixing. The boy was constantly apologizing for the matter and told the boys that he missed them dearly. Junmyeon told him not to worry. That he was at no fault at all for any of this, and he was of course still apart of the family. They were still one.

The eight boys gave the Chinese member all the love and support and promise that they will buy his album once it's finished and out since they already knew it was going to be fantastic. 

And it was. Later that October, Lay released his first solo album and it top Chinese music charts instantly. The boys had gotten to where they were listening to it more than their own music. Jongin and Sehun learn the dance moves to the single “Lose Control”, and nearly killed Kyungsoo and him in the making. 

Summer came along again and the boys come out with their new album. It was completely new with a kind of sound none of them ever experimented with before and it took storm. The album sold millions and they felt as if they were on top of the world again.

It was a week after the release when Junmyeon got a long stream of calls late at night. It was early in the morning and the constant vibrate in his bed woke him up. He answered with his eyes barely opened and was welcomed with a slurry voice. He finally realized that it was Chanyeol, drunk beyond belief, claiming that he was on the side of the road somewhere in town. He couldn’t tell the taxi driver where he lived and Junmyeon was the only one who answered. 

Junmyeon got in his car and drove around the downtown bars till he saw the fancy dressed boy leaning on a pole, looking like a complete mess. He must have slept the night on the side of the road. It was about dawn when he got into Junmyeon’s car. The sky was a soft blue, like Chanyeol’s contacts that he took out once he was inside. He looked even worse up close. 

He didn’t lecture or nagged at the rapper. He won’t judge him for having some fun. He just hopes this didn’t become a habit of his. Junmyeon drove the car onto another road away from the dorms

“Where are we going?” Chanyeol asked in a grunt. 

“We’re going to get coffee. Since we’re up this early, might as well beat the rush and treat ourselves.” 

Chanyeol smiled at him. “You make the best mom, Myeonie.” 

Junmyeon doubted that but he went along anyway. He came to the drive through and waited behind the cars in line. 

“What do you want?” 

“To forget everything from last night,” Chanyeol answered with his voice breaking and raspy. He rubbed his eyes.

“I don’t think they have that on the menu,” Junmyeon replied.

“Can you ask just in case?” Chanyeol played along.

“What happened?” 

“I did something horrible.” 

Junmyeon was on guard then. He knew this couldn’t be good. The way Chanyeol actually mentioned his worry was not a good sign. He breathed before going on with the conversation. 

“Like, you committed a crime?” He asked. “Did you get arrested?” 

“Worse.” 

“What?” 

“I fell in love.”

“Aw hell!” Junmyeon knew this wasn’t good. He drove up and order himself two venti americanos, along with Chanyeol’s caramel macchiato. He knew he would need them. 

“With who? Was it someone you know? Was it the bartender? I normally fall for the bartenders for a day, but then I forget what their face looks like and I move on.” 

Chanyeol was silent for a moment before opening his eyes to Junmyeon. The second before his mouth open to answer him, Junmyeon instantly knew the name that left his lips. He didn’t even hear Chanyeol say it because he didn’t need it. 

“Baekhyun.” 

Junmyeon nodded slowly. “Okay.”

“Just okay?” Chanyeol raised a brow like he was expecting more from him.

“I’m used to all you guys pinning after one another at his point.” Junmyeon shrugged as he drove up in line.

“Well, did any of the other member sleep with the other and then left them?” Chanyeol looked away sadly like he was ashamed of himself. 

“No. I don’t think they did.” Junmyeon weakly replied. 

“Well… that’s what happens. I did it.” 

“AHA!” A loud cry came from behind him and Chanyeol. Junmyeon jumped so hard that he would be in space if it wasn’t for his seat belt. He turned to find Sehun in his back seat. He was as much as a wreck as Chanyeol was in his wrinkled blazer and messy black hair.

“The fuck man?!” Chanyeol snapped at the boy.

“How the hell did you get in my car?!” Junmyeon questioned him.

“I slept here last night.” The maknae stated like it was a normal thing. “I lost my keys and broke in through the side door.” 

“Are you kidding me?” Junmyeon was ready to kill him then.

“Again, what the fuck man?” Chanyeol asked the boy again.

“ _You._ ” Sehun ignored his question and poked a bony finger at him. “You fucked up, Chanyeol. You fucked up really bad. Baekhyun is extremely hurt from this and you need to fix it immediately.”  
“How do you know?” Chanyeol challenged him.

“I went out with you guys last night.”  
Chanyeol turned back to the front with a shocked expression. “That’s right.” He hit himself in the head after the realization. 

“You can also tell from your messed-up eyeliner.” Junmyeon threw at the intruder with faded eyeliner running down his face. 

The boy glared at the leader and poked forward. “Just drive, Mom.” He snarled at him. 

The boys received and paid for the drinks. Junmyeon let Sehun have his other coffee as the boy climbed over to the second row. They chugged down their beverages while they were still hot before going on to an interrogation of last night.

“It’s not the first time we’ve done anything necessarily... _couple-ish_ ” Chanyeol begin to explain.

“What do you mean?” 

“Like we’re made out before and had some kisses here and there… But this is the first time it’s gone this far, you know?”

“Really?” 

“Yeah. It’s a bromance.” Chanyeol stated to only be left with two confused looks looking back at him. “You know like it’s not an actual romantic relationship or anything. It’s just two bros having fun. It’s a ‘no homo’ thing.”

“No homo?” Junmyeon repeated his words. This was single handily the dumbest thing he ever heard.

“Yeah. It’s not gay if you say its ‘no homo’.” Chanyeol explained. “No feelings or anything involved.”

Junmyeon looked back to Sehun behind him who looked as judgemental as he did.

“All I know is,” Sehun began. “Is that last night was not a ‘no homo’ thing for Baek.” 

“What do you mean?”

“He called me around three last night, right after I broke into Junmyeon’s car when he said you left him alone last night in the hotel room. He was crying and he felt rejected.”

“Oh…” Chanyeol looked down. He was frowning deeply and sadly.

“He was really upset. He thought it was something special between you two. More than just hooking up.” Sehun explained softly. Chanyeol only looked down in response. 

“I confused,” Junmyeon spoke up. “If you and Baekhyun have been having this ‘no homo’ fling, which means no feelings or anything, then why did you just admit you were in love with him?”

Chanyeol looked up to the dashboard. “I… I mean, we’ve done stuff throughout the years…”

“Years?” Both Junmyeon and Sehun asked in shock.

“Yeah… and I guess I grown attached, you know?” Chanyeol raised his hands in defeat. “I just assumed he didn’t feel the same.”

“Well, I can confirm he does,” Sehun stated. “And I will say it again: You, Hyung, have fucked up.”  
“I hate to agree with Sehun here, Chanyeol. You fucked up bad and you need to talk to Baekhyun about it now.” Junmyeon enforced the issue.

“Yeah.” Chanyeol nodded.

“Just say you’re sorry, explained yourself and confess. I can promise you, you’ll get what you want at the end of it.” Sehun patted the older boy on the back. “

“Yeah, if he doesn’t kick me out before then.” Chanyeol huffed. 

“He can’t kick you out if you bring him his favorite donuts. And since we’re out… And Junmyeon has a card…” Sehun sneaked a sweet pleading look his way. Junmyeon hated how that smiled affected him so much. 

“This is just a cheap shot to get me to buy you breakfast?” Junmyeon smirked. 

“Please?” Sehun batted his eyelashes and Junmyeon wondered how someone looked that good in the messy state after waking up after a hell of a night out. 

Junmyeon simply turns the car back on and began to back out in the parking lot of the coffee shop. “The things I do for these kids…”  
“You’re not our mom, _Myeonie._ ”

“Then stop acting like a child, _Hunnie._ ” 

“Are you sure you two aren’t dating?” Chanyeol raised a brow at the two again. 

“Hey, did anyone asked you, Runnin’ Joe? No. Now mind your own damn business.” Sehun snapped at him and poked both of them to looked forward. They followed the order as Sehun climbs back to sleep in the back row. “Wake me up when you when have my chocolate sprinkles.” 

They got the donuts and more coffee (to save Junmyeon’s sanity) and drove over to Baekhyun’s dorm. Chanyeol was mumbling to himself over what he was going to say while they were in the elevator. He was holding a box of a dozen glazed donuts while Sehun stood beside him with his bag of donut holes and coffee.

“Don’t talk too fast. This isn’t one of your rap singles.” Sehun said through a mouth full of donut holes. He was still bitter about the shop being out of his chocolate sprinkles.

“He’s nervous.” Junmyeon threw Sehun a glance behind the tall boy’s back before patted him on the shoulder. “Just be honest. Baekhyun will hopefully listen and understand.” 

“Hopefully,” Sehun said. Junmyeon hit him on the arm. 

Baekhyun’s room was at the end of the hall. Junmyeon and Sehun lean on and hid away on the wall hidden by the opening door and gave Chanyeol a thumb up and a “Fighting!” before he knocked on the wood. 

“Who’s there?” 

“It’s me!” Chanyeol laid on the cheery tone thick over his still breaking voice.

The door opened for a solid three second before he swung to be slam shut again. Chanyeol threw himself in between and used his body force to keep the door from closing.

“Baby wait! Let me explain!” Chanyeol pleaded. 

“Don’t you dare ‘baby’ me!” Baekhyun yelled at him as he still tried to close the door. “And donuts are not going to make up for this, Channie!”

Chanyeol groaned from pain as Junmyeon and Sehun began to worry from the sidelines. This was defiantly worse than they thought.

“Baby please!” Chanyeol pleaded again. “I’m sorry! I was wrong! Please just let me explain everything to you!” 

“No!”

“Babe, I slept on the side of the street last night because I couldn’t go back to the dorms bec-“

“Oh!” Baekhyun stopped closing the door to glare up at the taller boy with rage in his eyes. “So, sleeping on the side of the street is better than after sex cuddles with me?!”

“No!” Chanyeol tried again to explain but had to be cut off to keep the door open. He tossed the box of donuts to Sehun before so, which the younger boy barely caught. 

“They know that they have neighbors, right?” Junmyeon looked down the hall for anyone who might have come out to complain. 

“Baekie please!” The desperate tone in Chanyeol was enough to make him cry. “I’m so sorry Baekie. I was a jerk-“

“Damn right you were!” Junmyeon could hear the beginning of tears in Baekhyun’s voice. He felt Sehun tense beside him and took that as his confirmation. “You just left me like some one-night stand slut! I thought I was at least your friend that you were willing to stay the night with, but I guess not!” 

“Baby no! Baby please, you’re so much more than that to me!” Chanyeol struggled more to hold the door open. His body was in the opening as he tried (and began to fail) to hold the door open. Junmyeon couldn’t see Baekhyun on the other side but he could tell by the look in Chanyeol’s eyes that he was crying from anger.

Sehun passed the box of donuts to Junmyeon and began to help Chanyeol with the door. “Baekhyun, come on! Just let him talk!” He tried with the other boy.

“Oh, you brought Sehun into this?! Is Junmyeon out there too?!”

“I am. I’m the one holding the donuts.” Junmyeon was the only calm voice in the mixture of yelling and pleading.

“Baekie please!”

“No!”

“Baekie, he’s really sorry!” 

“No, he’s not!”  
“Yes, I am! I made a huge mistake and I’m sorry!”

“That’s doesn’t fix any of this!”

“Please Baekie!”

“No!” 

“Oh, for fuck’s sake, he loves you!” Junmyeon finally shouted at the three of them. The battle of pushing and pulling the door finally stopped and Junmyeon saw Sehun and Chanyeol looking at him. He couldn’t see Baekhyun but he knew he had his attention.

“He loves you! He left because he thought that you wouldn’t feel the same because of this damn bromance bullshit you two have! He wants to be with you but he didn’t know how to explain it to you and then Sehun told him about the call you made to him last night and now he’s here to apologize and confess! Now kiss, makeup, eat these damn donuts, and finally be together!”

Junmyeon finally snapped. He liked to blame it on the early morning of love drama, limit of two cups of coffee, and Sehun’s sass.

It was still between them all before the door began to open more. Junmyeon finally caught a view of Baekhyun, in his messy red and black mullet, looking up at Chanyeol with big and puffy eyes. 

“Is it true?” 

“Yes. All of its true, baby.” 

“And you didn’t leave me because you don’t care about me?” 

“No, baby.”

“Or because I wasn’t good enough? Or you thought my new haircut is ugly?” 

“No baby. No, never.” (Junmyeon held in his laughter as Sehun rolled his eyes behind the door.)

Baekhyun stood there and look down to the ground in silence for a moment. Junmyeon watch as he finally let go, letting his throat constrict and his face twist.

“Don’t ever leave me again.” Baekhyun finally got out in his sobs.“Never again, Baekie. I promise.” Chanyeol picked him up from the ground in a tight hug. The two cried together in their happiness and Junmyeon couldn’t help but smile for his two members. This was a beautiful thing and he was so happy for them to finally have each other.

“Hey there.” He turned to his left to find Jongdae and Xiumin walking towards them with their own box of donuts. They were both smiling and then came forth and found Chanyeol and Baekhyun. “Did we miss something?” 

“They made up and they’re together now,” Junmyeon explained as he felt Sehun come over and wrap his arms around his chest, resting his head on the top side of his. 

Jongdae raised a brow and smirked at him. “Only one more to go.”

“Fuck off,” Junmyeon told him as he held onto one of Sehun’s hands. He didn’t care. He was more than happy with everything around him right now. 

The rest of the year flew by until the night of New Year’s Eve. It was ten minutes before midnight and the managers told them that they would be performing at the Winter Olympic this coming February. The eight boys were screaming and cheering well after the countdown. There were bigger screams from family, friends, and fans once they were told the news. Lay messaged them all saying not only was he insanely envious but unbelievable proud. They told him that they love him and he was invited to the after party if he could make it. 

The after party is where it happens. 

It was insane. All the athletes and performers and every other rich person he didn’t know was there, pumping along to amazing music and drinking all the alcohol they could get their hands on. It was one of the best parties of Junmyeon’s life. He couldn’t remember much until the end. That’s how amazing it was.

The end of the night was even better though.

It was about five in the morning when people started clearing out. It was becoming lighter and lighter outside and Junmyeon knew it was time to go. He stumbled into the bathroom with two shot glasses in his hand. He stood there until his eyes found Sehun inside the open stall. 

“Are you puking?” 

“Nah. I’m trying to though.” Sehun sounded a lot more sober than Junmyeon did. “I guess I’m not that drunk.” 

“Hmm.” Junmyeon walked over to the sink counter and waited for the other boy to come out. When he did, he handed him one of the glasses. “We take shots?”

“We take shots!” Sehun screamed before both of them tapped the glasses on the counter and down them. “Oh, fuck me!”

Sehun was bent over and suffering as Junmyeon stayed still. “Wow. That didn’t burn at all.” 

“That’s not good, babe.” Sehun snickered. He only ever called him babe when he was rarely extra flirty. It was too much for Junmyeon in his state then, even intoxicating him even more. “Come on, we need to get you back to the hotel.” 

Sehun grabbed his hand to pull him out of the restroom but he stayed put, leaning against the counter. He pulled the younger one towards him, till they were chest to chest and face to face. Sehun didn’t step back or loosen the tight hold that he held on Junmyeon’s hand.

“I like it when you call me babe.” He said, without realizing he said it till a second later. Junmyeon wasn’t thinking straight. He was loopy and was having trouble standing. But those pretty brown eyes were looking at him again, and he couldn’t help but look back and smile. He loved those eyes, especially directly under the bright white light of the mirror lightbulbs. 

Sehun was the first to move forward, and Junmyeon followed his lead. Their lips met and the first kiss was soft and careful. The process was slow and lingering, despite their drunken state. 

Sehun was the one to open his mouth a little first and ask for the entree. Junmyeon granted it, stepping closer and tilting his head more. He prayed to God no one came in. 

After a while, they parted, and Sehun held him by the waist before leaning down to his ear and whisper in it. “Let’s get to the hotel to finish this.”

Junmyeon nodded and followed him out of the door, holding his hand the whole time. They got a taxi and made it to the hotel before they got to the bed and completely passed out after they were done. Junmyeon never thought he actually gets what he wanted in the end, but he was so happy to wake up in the early afternoon later that day to see Sehun beside him. He recalled the night before clearly and snuggled closer to him. Sehun simply threw his arm around him and held him close again. He was simply laying there, happy to be breathing and in his embrace. 

It was the most perfect moment of his life. 

Till Chanyeol ruined it…

“Hey, Junmyeon do you have any-Oh, my God!” Sehun jumped up to the sound of the surprised cry. Junmyeon popped his head up to barely see Chanyeol standing in the doorway with his mouth open as it slowly formed into a grin. 

“You two totally banged! You two actually fucked!”

“Get out!” Sehun threw a pillow at the giant, but he was already gone, shouting the news to the other members. Sehun signed in annoyance. 

“If you think he’s bad, just wait for Jongdae.” 

“Why?” 

The said boy’s screaming voice was his answer as it started getting closer to the open door. Soon a blur of a figure came through and landed on the bed, jumping on the mattress. 

“I told you Junmyeon!” Jongdae collapsed on his knees around his frame and shook his shoulders as he was laying down. “I told you!”

“Yes, you told me.” Junmyeon laughed along. 

“Oh my god, they’re still naked too!” Baekhyun called out of the crowd gathering in their hotel room. 

“Get out!” Sehun continued to throw pillows at the other members.

“Are you two together now?” Xiumin asked as they took cover.

“Yes!” Sehun answered them. Junmyeon smiled to himself.

“They’ve been together for eleven years now!” Jongdae called out. Junmyeon held him back the knees and pushed him off the bed with him screaming as he fell. 

“Get out!” Junmyeon began to throw pillows at them as well, both of the giggling as the other members continued to make little poking jokes at them. The members scattered and eventually, all of them left the room and closed the door.

Junmyeon signed as he laid back down on the single pillow left on the bed. Sehun lays on his chest and lets him play with his entangled locks. 

“So, what do you want to do?” Sehun asked him while drawing small circles on his skin.

“How about we ordered room service and sleep for the rest of the day?” Junmyeon suggested.

“Sounds great, babe.” 


End file.
